The new will of fire, a Naruto fanfiction
by Kdog1000
Summary: 1 Year has passed since Pein invaded the hidden leaf village. While repairs have been made and lives have gotten back on track there is still a small tinge of fear in the back of the villagers. How will the new generation fare in these tough times?
1. Chapter 1

Note: The story is set 1 years after the attack on Konohagakure by Pein. This idea came to me just a little while ago. This is my first fan fiction ever, so I'm there are a few parts that can be improved. I hope that by giving this story reviews that I can learn from my mistakes and do a better job with the next chapters. Thank you

[Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own Naruto or any character therein. Any OC's I create are free to be used.. though I doubt anyone would want to use them.]

Chapter 1: A new day

The sun's beams illuminated the partially empty streets of Konoha. The night watch that had been set up could finally disband and take a much needed rest, especially considering how active they'd been for the last few weeks. Alarm clocks could be heard sounding in many of the village's houses and soon enough the streets were once again crowded with the merry villagers that inhabited the small village. Another day in Konoha had begun and for one boy it would prove to be a real turning point in his life. Unfortunately he had yet to awaken. His alarm clock had been smashed into oblivion the moment it sounded and anyone who attempted to wake him up was met with nothing but silence at the door. However, this wouldn't continue for much longer. Footsteps could be heard scaling upon the steps that lead to the boy's room and then ceased. Within a matter of seconds the door flew off it's hinges and slammed right into the boy's crotch area. Not a very pleasant way to wake up. A shadowy figure entered the somewhat chaotic room and was soon revealed to be none other than Ebisu.

"**Konohamaru-kun!** You were supposed to be up two hours ago!! We have been waiting by the training grounds since sun rise!" Ebisu scowled and folded his arms over his chest.

A furious [And obviously hurt] Konohamaru emerged from under the sheets before kicking away the door that served as his new alarm clock. Small beads of tears were stationed at the corner of his eyes as he pointed at his Sensei accusingly with one hand while the other was placed over his quite possibly ruptured 'sweet n sours'.

"W-What the heck Ebisu-Sensei?!?! Do you have any idea how much that hurt?! How can I keep the Sarutobi clan alive if I lose my little helpers-kore?!?! [Kore refers to the way Konohamaru finishes his sentences. A laughing signal or appreciation, much like Naruto's 'Dattebayo']

"Oh cease your nonsense Konohamaru-kun!" Ebisu snarled. "Your private parts are fine. And if not we have medics that can take care of them. What's important is to attend today's training exercise!"

"Training? Heck I don't need any training! I'm already Konoha's number one most improved rookie! I'll be a top notch Hokage in no time!" Konohamaru let out a triumphant laugh, almost instantly forgetting about the fact that he was struck in the crotch by a door seconds ago.

"_So he was alright it after all.._" Ebisu thought to himself as a bead of sweat rolled down his face. He coughed into his fist and stood up straight as usual. "Konohamaru-kun, might I add that you are still a Genin. That means that there is still much for you to learn. A member of the Sarutobi clan must be patient and diligent. Only then can he truly attain a high and greatly regarded status in Konoha. Much like your grandfather and Uncle, who also trained diligently day in and day ou-... Konohamaru-kun?"

Ebisu who was too focused on his monologue failed to notice that Konohamaru had left his quarters and was already out on the streets. Konohamaru never really attended any of Ebisu's training exercises. He mostly trained by himself or with Naruto when he wasn't busy.

"_If only Naruto was our leader_." Konohamaru thought to himself.

Konohamaru held Naruto in high regard. Not that he didn't have respect for Ebisu, but Naruto taught him so much more. If it weren't for him he would have never learned the rasengan that saved his life that fateful day. Of course Naruto only showed him how to do it.. Once. From there on Konohamaru trained diligently and tried to make a rasengan of his own. It took him two months, but he could finally make a suitable rasengan. Sadly by that time Naruto had already left the village to train with Jiraiya. That was a rather boring, yet peaceful period for Konoha. There were no Akatsuki or anything to worry about. Now the whole village was on edge, wondering when the group would strike next. Yes, Akatsuki was still active and rumor had it that it's base had grown. Konoha's Shinobi trained diligently in preparation for another possible attack. Even though things seemed normal on the outside, the village was not even remotely the same as it was a year ago.

* * *

  
At that moment a group of Shinobi gathered by the Hokage's office. Inuzuka Kiba, Nara Shikamaru, Rock Lee and Uzumaki Naruto were gathered for reasons that were unknown to them. Once they arrived they were met with the sight of their beautiful Hokage who was still in a somewhat weakened state. Her efforts to heal everyone in the village with Souzo Saisei's full power drained her of most of her chakra and almost brought her to the brink of death. She recovered however, slowly but surely.

"Thank you for coming here. I'm sure you're all aware of the situation with Akatsuki." Tsunade began. Her hands folded together and a clearly visible frown appeared on her face. "With the way they've been expanding their forces we cannot simply sit by anymore and wait for them to make the first move. We will need all the help we can get.. even from our Genin."

There was a somewhat concerned look on Lee's face, but he didn't speak out. As much as he hated the idea of the younger ones becoming involved in the fight he couldn't help but agree that they needed strength in numbers. Konoha's allies were few. Only Sunagakure willingly lend their aid to them after the attack. The Raikage was much more concerned of his brother and those from the rock village looked forward to seeing Konoha fall. Their chances of survival were slim. Very slim.

"Therefor.. I've chosen some of the most promising chuunin out of you to train some of our most promising Genin. Neji Hyuuga has already taken a team under his wing."

"One moment, Tsunade-sama." Lee interrupted the Hokage finally, but not because he didn't agree on something. He was curious rather. "Would it not be better to assign the rookie teams to Jounin like Neji? They are much more capable than we are."

A small smile appeared on the Hokage's face after seeing this. That automatically made Lee's eyes widen. It was becoming clear now, why they were brought here.

"Like I said, I brought some of the most promising chuunin here. All of you have shown enough skill and.. tenacity I should say, to become Jounin. As of today, you four have officially been promoted."

A bright smile appeared on Lee's face, but couldn't be matched to the smile on Naruto's. From Genin to Jounin in a heartbeat. He had put his childish dreams of becoming Hokage aside for so long that he forgot how good it felt to be promoted. Shikamaru's face had a 'been there done that' look upon it, however he was still proud of himself. He could follow in Asuma's footsteps even better now. Kiba couldn't help but shout his signature 'YAHOOOO!' upon hearing the good news. Tsunade placed both of her hands onto her desk and looked at the newly assigned Jounin with a bright smile on her face.

"I'll assign your teams to you later on. I know with your help the next generation will be ready for the upcoming battle. Dismissed."

Chapter 1 -End-

Next chapter: Say hello to Sensei.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Say hello to Sensei

"I said no! I'm not gonna do it-Kore!" Konohamaru was perched on top of the roof of his house and looked down at Moegi and Udon who had been sent to track him down. Since they were the ones who knew Konohamaru the best it only seemed appropriate that they would search for him. However, the Sarutobi clan member refused to follow the two to the training grounds.

"Come on Kono-kun." Moegi stepped forward and tried to reason with him. Udon was never good with words so he decided to stay back and watch.

Konohamaru simply turned a blind eye towards his teammates and huffed. "You guys can go train with Ebisu-sensei if you want. I can train on my own! Besides, I haven't learned a thing from him since we were made a part of his team!"

His statement was actually true. While Konohamaru had shown significant improvement since becoming a Genin it came to a screeching halt when he was put under Ebisu's wing. Oddly enough this came around the same time as Naruto left the village. Some believed that it was through Naruto's teachings that Konohamaru's skills improved, but that was only a theory.

"Besides, you guys get just as bored as I do when we have to do what he says don't you? His training doesn't even come close to the difficulty of Naruto-nii-chan's training." Konohamaru narrowed his eyes at the two. Moegi and Udon bowed their heads to the floor and fell silent.

"Y-yeah.. That's true but.." Udon tried to think of a suitable comeback, but failed.

"But Ebisu is our Sensei and we have to listen to what our Sensei says. That's the rule!" Moegi's eyes burned with determination.

"Well I think that's a pretty stupid reason if you ask me.."

"K-Konohamaru-kun!!"

"Look, I'm just saying that we could be so much better if we had a Sensei like Naruto-nii-chan. You guys agree don't you? I mean, he's the one who beat that weird Akatsuki guy last ti-"

Udon's face suddenly contorted into a rather ominous scowl, which silenced Konohamaru instantly. It was then that he noticed the tears beginning to well up in Moegi's eyes. He had forgotten.. That day when he fought that Pein. His memory was still a bit fuzzy, but he could remember certain things. After he used his rasengan he felt something strike his head. The next thing he could remember was seeing that Pein towering over him and preparing to strike. Then suddenly he was fighting Moegi's parents. And then he passed out. He later found out that they came across Ebisu and ran to help him, but they were killed in the process.

"Moegi I.. I'm sorry."

"... It's alright, really. I just need to get used to the fact that papa and mama are gone. They wouldn't want me to stay sad forever anyway. Besides, if I keep on crying I'll never be as strong as you."

"Moegi.."

* * *

The day proceeded normally for awhile. A few Ninja academy students were preparing for the big test to determine who would become Genin. Normally Shikamaru would be in charge of that, but that duty now went on to Iruka. The new Jounin all went their separate ways after exiting Tsunade's mansion. Kiba went to tell his parents the good news. Shikamaru decided to take a stroll through the woods until it was time for the teams to be assigned. Lee celebrated with his team as they always did and Naruto decided to grab a bite at the Ichiraku Ramen. He just couldn't get that smile off of his face.

"So, Jounin eh? Can't say I'm surprised. Heck you could even be Kage with the skills you've attained so far."

The Ramen shop owner passed the blond a big bowl of beef ramen, free of charge. It was only natural that he'd celebrate his number one customer's becoming Jounin.

"Heh, thanks old man. I never really thought of the chuunin exams anymore with everything's that happened. I forgot how badly I wanted to become a chuunin. It feels good really. And to make it even better I skip right past it and become Jounin! I wonder if I get to wear that vest.."

A whole hearted chuckle left the ramen shop owner's lips at the thought of seeing Naruto strut around in that vest. Oh he would certainly let all that air go up to his head.

"Itadakimaaaas~"

Naruto split his chop sticks in two and scarfed down his meal happily. But seconds were already on the way. Naruto always needed about ten servings before he was content. As he began to scarf down his second bowl he let his mind wander for a bit.

"I wonder what kind of team I'll be in charge of.."

The words caught the attention of the shop owner.

"Well whoever you get I'm sure you'll do a good job at training 'em. Though Neji's team could probably gives yours a run for it's money. Those kids are beasts."

"Neji's team?" Naruto questioned. Now that he thought about it he never found out who was on Neji's team.

"We've heard alot about 'em" The shop owner began. "All three of 'em are geniuses. Graduated from the academy with an average of over 96. One of 'em even got a perfect 100! Boy I tell you those three'll be a force to be reckoned with. They've already been on seven A ranked missions."

Naruto nearly spat his ramen out when he heard the total of A ranked missions Neji's team was on. That couldn't possibly have been right. "S-SEVEN A RANK MISSIONS?!" He blurted out.

"Ayup. And word has it Neji didn't even have to assist those kids. They pretty much wrapped things up by themselves."

"Wow.. Neji's team huh?" Naruto stared into his bowl of Ramen and remained completely silent. "Guess he must be too busy to spend time with his old team."

"Lee maybe. But not Tenten." The shop owner replied.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto stopped slirping a strand of his Ramen noodles and stared cluelessly at the old man.

"Geez... You really are out of the loop aren't you Naruto-kun?"

* * *

Time passed. It was almost three in the afternoon when Ebisu entered the Hokage's mansion. One more hour was left until the new rookie teams were assigned to their jounin. Tsunade looked up from her table, somewhat surprised to see the closet pervert step into her office.

"I take it you're here to explain why you were found in the women's hot springs' changing room.."

Ebisu's blush was as clear as day, however his expression remained completely serious. Y-yes well.. No actually, Hokage-sama. I wanted to speak to you about Uzumaki Naruto. Is it true that he has become a Jounin?"

A solitary nod was directed towards the black spectacled male by Tsunade. "Just today in fact. Why do you ask?"

"Well there is something I'd like to ask of you.. If you don't mind that is."

"I'm all ears, Ebisu."

The last hour sped by quickly. Iruka stood outside of the academy with a group of nine children, all bearing Konoha forehead protectors. Some seemed excited, some apprehensive and one didn't seem to care much at all. Iruka coughed into his fist and began to speak.

"Well this is it. You've all officially become Genin. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am. However there is still one small order of business. Selecting your teams. And without further delay.."

The kids tensed up [Except for one girl] and prepared to hear who would be joining who.

"Baek Jin Pyo, Kuwabara Li, Misaki Sasahara. You will form team 5. Your leader will be.."

At that moment a cloud of smoke appeared beside Iruka. When the smoke cleared a smiling and confident Lee struck his signature pose and greeted his new team.

"Osu! I hope you kids are ready to embrace the power of youth!"

Two of the children seemed visibly excited while Misaki, the only girl on the team, let out a small sigh. "I ended up on the weirdo's team." She whispered.

"Very good. Next.. Akimichi Chouju, Yamanaka Inohiko, Nara Ashika. You three will form team 6. Your leader will be.."

With that another cloud of smoke appeared beside Iruka. When the smoke cleared Shikamaru could be seen with a cigarette between his lips. However that cigarette soon fell to the floor once he looked at his team. It wasn't the fact that his team was pretty much another InoShikaChou trio, oh no. It was WHO was on that team that made him want to trade places with Lee. Ashika Nara, Shikamaru's little cousin. The girl walked up to him with an even lazier expression on her face if you can believe.

".. So you're our leader huh? How'd a lazy ass like you end up being a Jounin?"

".. Mendokuse na.."

Iruka stared at the two for a moment before coughing into his fist and continuing. "R-right then. Let's see. "Asuka Nakamura, Violet Summers, Inuzuka Fei. You will form team 8. And your leader will be.."

Just as before a cloud of smoke appeared and when it dissapated Inuzuka Kiba looked at his students with a confident grin.. that soon turned into a look of utter disbelief.

"M-.. My team.. Is made out of just girls?"

This comment reached the ears of his students and they wasted no time in proceeding to pummel their Sensei into a bloody pulp. Things seemed to be getting lively.

"And last, but not least.. Ah here they come now."

The children looked confused since they were the only ones out of their class to graduate. They looked off into the direction Iruka was staring at and caught sight of three slightly older children heading towards them. They had to be at least a year older. Moegi, Udon and Konohamaru walked up to Iruka, somewhat confused as to why they were called here.

"Oi oi, what's the deal Iruka-sensei? Why did Ebisu-sensei tell us to come here?" Konohamaru wasted no time in getting to the bottom of things. This caused Iruka to chuckle for a moment.

"Well, Konohamaru.. Ebisu resigned."

There was a moment of silence before Konohamaru's jaw dropped to the floor in comedic anime fashion.

"R-R-RESIGNED?! HE CAN'T DO THAT! WHY DIDN'T HE TELL US?!?!"

"Now calm down Konohamaru. He resigned because he thought that one of our new jounins would do a better job at training you. And I for one agree. So, team seven. Your leader will be.."

"Oooooooooooi guuuuuuuuuuys!"

The unmistakable voice of a certain orange clad nin filled the air and from out the sky came Uzumaki Naruto. The nine other teams were stunned to see such a big time and almost legendary Shinobi appear before them as the leader of team 7. Konohamaru and the others were shocked as well.. And then Konohamaru fainted with a big smile left on his face.

".. God does exist."

Chapter 2 -end-

Next chapter: Evaluation of strength.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Evaluation of strength.

"Did the smelling salts work Udon?"

"I-I don't think they did Naruto-sensei-.. a-ah Moegi!"

"Koooono.. Koooooooooono~... GET UP YOU LAZY TURD!!!!"

A bright light suddenly pierced the darkness, along with a stinging pain in Konohamaru's jaw. Undoubtedly that was Moegi's legendary left uppercut. He'd been on the receiving end of that many.. maaaany times. At least it wasn't the right hand this time. Oh how he dreaded the left hand. Komohamaru's eyes slowly opened and as his vision adjusted he managed to make out Naruto, Moegi and Udon standing in front of him. It seemed as though the rest of the children had already left.

"A-ah Konhamaru-kun! You're awake now!" Moegi's smile hid the demon that lay beneath the mask.

Oh how Konohamaru missd the shy and innocent girl he used to play with back in the old days. Apparently puberty changed her into a miniature version of Sakura.. frightening to say the least. He could tell by the look on Naruto's face that even he was a little scared of Moegi.

"Y-yeah, well as you heard I'll be your new leader from now on. The closet perv said that you guys would improve alot faster if you were to train under me. So-"

"Are you going to teach us new Ero ninjutsu Naruto-nii-chan?!" Konohamaru's eyes lit up like a spark in a gas filled chamber.

"O-or a improved version of the Oiroke Jutsu?~" Udon seemed equally excited about this.

Moegi on the other hand wasn't having any of it. Her fists slammed into the two boys' heads, knocking them down to the floor. Once again Naruto's eye twitched in fear.

"Y-yea.. Thanks Moegi.. -cough- No, actually we're gonna do some more serious training.. And I think you should be calling me Sensei instead of Nii-chan."

The once knocked out Konohamaru shot back up to his feet mere seconds upon hearing the words 'Serious training.'

"So.. You're going to teach us how to do the Rasen Shuriken and stuff?! BANGIN'-KORE!"

"Banging?" Naruto thought to himself. That had to be the LAMEST catchphrase he had ever heard. He'd have to have a serious talk about catchphrases with him after this. "Haha.. Well not exactly. First off I need to see how far you guys have improved. Then I'll start teaching you some more jutsus. We're gonna start it off slow though. Maybe teach Udon and Moegi how to do Rasengan too!"

"I'll pass, I don't like the Rasengan." Moegi began painting her nails with her emergency cosmetics kit.

"I-I don't do well in close up fights, so I'll pass too..." Udon picked his nose and shifted his eyes to the side.

"H-HEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?! Are you guys for real?! B-but you can learn to do the Rasen Shuriken and a whole bunch of other cool moves with it!.. And what do you mean you don't fight well up close?! You know what, let's just go to the training field so I can see what you guys CAN do."

Konohamaru was dying to hear those words leave Naruto's mouth. He tightened the knot on his forehead protector and pointed a demanding finger towards his new Sensei while a confident grin etched it's way onto his mouth.

"Don't be surprised by how good we've gotten, Naruto-Nii-chan!"

"Heh, well see!.. And I told you it's Sensei now.."

* * *

It was a little before Five in the afternoon when Naruto's team reached the training grounds. This brought back some very fond memories. Udon, Moegi and Konohamaru stood on one side while Naruto stood on the other. It was time to see how far the three rookie Genin had come.

"Don't dissapoint me now guys. I'm expecting alot from you after that statement you made earlier!"

"Heh, don't you worry about us Naruto-nii-chan. You should worry about yourself." Konohamaru countered one witty remark with another. The two really were two peas in a pot.

"Like I said it's Naruto-SENSEI. Say it with me! S-E-N-E-"

Naruto's little outburst distracted him from the battle at hand. Konohamaru lunged straight at him, making Naruto dodge at the very last second. Moegi followed closely behind with Kunai in hand and made a swipe for Naruto's neck, which he also managed to dodge. He expected a third attack to come and took a defensive stance, only to see that Udon was still in the exact same place and just staring at him.

"E-eh?" Of course Naruto was confused, which left him open for yet another attack. Konohamaru fell out of the sky and Moegi attempted a sweeping leg strike aimed towards Naruto's legs. He managed to catch the joint attack at the last moment and jumped back, dodging both attack simultanoiusly. Udon had yet to move a muscle.

"Focus Naruto.. This must be their game plan. Udon just stays there to distract the opponent so they can get in free hits. Just ignore Udon and focus on the other two.. Yosh!"

Naruto gave the two a determined glance and motioned for them to come at him. Konohamaru went in first with a straightforward punch, but was caught and thrown right into a tree. Moegi came next, throwing a vertically moving kick aimed at his head. Naruto held his arms over his head and blocked the blow with ease before tossing her a small ways away. The fight was becoming relatively easier now. Moegi and Konohamaru glanced at each other and both jumped away into separate bushes. Udon still had yet to move.

"Trying to pull a fast one on me huh? It's not gonna work you guys!" Naruto assured the group that victory was impossible. A lone Kunai shot out of a tree a few inches behind Naruto which he managed to see coming at the last moment. He hopped to the left which made Udon's eye twitch somewhat. Konohamaru jumped out of the bush that Moegi went in and lunged directly at him as soon as Naruto's feet made contact with the floor. Naruto jumped over Konohamaru instantly and landed a few more inches in front , now facing Konohamaru. That was when something surprising happened. Konohamaru shot out of the bush he had jumped in earlier and lunged at Naruto, Kunai in hand. A second later and Naruto would have been hit, however he turned just in time catch the attack with a Kunai of his own.

"So you made a Kage bunshin to distract me while you launched an attack from behind.. Not bad Konohamaru! But I wrote the book on that!"

"Hehe. Nice, Naruto-Nii-chan. But there's one problem. He's the real Konohamaru."

Konohamaru pointed at the Konohamaru that had struck first, which confused Naruto somewhat. Wasn't the real one supposed to launch the attack and the bunshin serve as a distraction?

"Just as I predicted. Let 'er rip Konohamaru-kun!" Udon suddenly yelled out, giving a thumbs up to Konohamaru, who did so in return.

"Boom baby! Konohamaru's new surprise move!"

Naruto's gaze went back to the clone in front of him and noticed a faint light appearing around his body. His eyes widened at that moment before he was caught in a signifficantly large explosion. Moegi, Udon and Konohamaru converged together, making their signature Konohamaru corps pose.

"Heh, you're too green Naruto-nii-chan. You didn't check much info on us did you? Udon graduated from the school with a perfect score. His IQ is even higher than that pineapple head you hang out with!"

Udon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled. "There were over a thousand possibilities of attacks you could have taken, so I narrowed it down to the three most likely ones. Seems I was right. I predicted every move you'd make before you even made them."

A small giggle escaped Moegi's lips as she gave a small V-sign. "Looks like it's our victory ne, Naruto-sensei?"

"... Not bad guys.. I'm impressed.. But there was no way you'd get me that easily!"

As the smoke cleared Naruto stood a few inches away from the blast zone where Konohamaru's clone detonated. He managed to propell himself backwards using a rasengan on the clone just before he exploded. A confident grin crossed his face as he gave the kids a thumbs up.

"_He learned how to make his clone explode.. Even **I** can't do that yet. He really has come a long way_." Naruto thought to himself as he eyed Konohamaru with a sense of pride. He really lived up to his Sarutobi name. "Good effort anyway guys! Heh."

".. I predicted you'd do that too. Moegi?"

Naruto could only emit a small "He?" before a breeze swept past him and blew away a patch of dirt that was beneath his feet. Beneath the dirt was a scroll with Moegi's blood on it and as soon as she made a hand sign it activated, causing a large iron cell to appear around Naruto. He was trapped like a rat.

"Konohamaru corps! V for victory! VICTORY!"

As the children stood there celebrating Naruto stared at them, shocked that Udon had managed to think so far ahead, even before the battle began. He really was smarter than Shikamaru.. or maybe not. One good rasengan was all he needed to blow out of the iron cage. The three Genin stared at him, dumbfounded.

"You guys did very well. I'm impressed! You all did well. But you could really improve your styles a bit more. But what can you expect? You're still getting used to being Genin so it's natural that you'd have a tough time. Especially for the girls."

The bull had seen red. Konohamaru and Udon cowered behind a tree which made Naruto blink for a moment, before he realized what he had just said.

"K-..Kuso! MOEGI-CHAN WAI- UAAAAAAAAAGH!"

A good, clean right fist landed on Naruto's face and sent him hurtling a few meters back before slamming into a boulder. Moegi's face burned red with anger for a moment before she got back to her senses. Konohamaru and Udon stammered and cowered behind the tree still.

"Mo.. Mo.. MOEGI'S LEGENDARY RIGHT KNOCK-OUT PUNCH!!! NARUTO-NII-CHAAAAAAN!"

The three scurried over to Naruto's side, only to find that he was out like a light. Udon and Konohamaru stared at Moegi who had one finger over her bottom lip.

"A-anou.. I'm sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength!" A small giggle escaped her lips. She truly was a frightening woman. Naruto would be sure to remember that.

"D-Dattebayoooooo~"

Chapter 3 -End-

Next chapter: Mission, Start!

Note: Yeah I didn't do so well with the fight scene. I need to work on those a bit. As always reviews are greatly appreciated and I'll keep any advice given to me in mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Mission, Start!

The last few days seemed fairly normal, despite team seven's new leader. One big difference however was that Konohamaru was actually appearing at the scheduled training exercises, even though there weren't that many. Two days had passed without Naruto organizing a training schedual and Konohamaru was becoming somewhat impatient. That was evident by the way he kept visiting the training grounds every six minutes. Moegi and Udon [Who were forced to follow him] sighed in frustration and boredom.

"K-Konohamaru-kun, Naruto-nii-chan isn't going to come today. Let's just go have fun." Udon sucked in a small strand of snot that was dangling out of his nose.

"No way! Naruto-nii-chan said he'd be showing us all sorts of cool jutsus! I can't just sit around and play games-Kore!"

"Jeez you two are so clueless.." Moegi rubbed her temple for a quick second before throwing what seemed to be a picture at the two. "Look at that and you'll know why he's not always available."

Two two boys shot a confused look at Moegi before turning their gaze towards the picture. Udon tilted his head to the side slightly and Konohamaru scratched the back of his head.

"What? This is just a picture of Naruto-nii-chan and Hinata-nee-chan.."

"Ugh!" Moegi placed her finger onto the picture and showed that the two were holding hands. "They're dating numbskulls! D-A-T-I-N-G!"

"... NO WAY!!!" Udon's eyes nearly budged out of his skull at the mention of those words. Konohamaru was equally shocked, but couldn't help but smile.

"Naruto-nii-chan and Hinata-nee-chan huh?.. Guess he has the same taste as me too! Hehehe."

Moegi's ears twitched as she turned her gaze towards Konohamaru with a not so pleasant look on her face. "What's that supposed to mean huuuh?!?!"

"A-Ah! I was just- I mean.. No-NO NOT THE FACE!"

*W**HAM!!!***

* * *

Inside the village people were going on about their business as usual. Lee's team could be seen sprinting through the streets happily [with the exception of Misaki Sasahara] and singing the 'power of youth' song.

"Yosh! You're all doing great so far. Two hundred laps down and five-hundred fifty more to go! In the mean time I'll hear your reasons for wanting to become Shinobi! Baek Jin Pyo, you go first."

"H-hai!"

Baek Jin Pyo, a shinobi of Japanese and Korean descent. He somewhat resembles Lee, with his bobbed hair cut and his inability to use ninjutsu and Genjutsu. The only difference is his facial features which are more.. normal than Lee's. He also has terrible eye-sight and has been diagnosed with an illness that will eventually blind him for life. He studies the 'Buraindo Zen'. A martial art for the blind.

"I chose to become a Shinobi so I could honor the memory of my father who was also a Shinobi of Konoha, Lee-sensei!"

"Very honorable indeed. The power of youth will be with you for certain! Kuwabara Li!"

"HAI!"

Kuwabara Li, a wealthy boy of Japanese and Chinese descent. His family moved to Konoha shortly after their new mansion was finished within the village. He has mid length, flowing orange hair and often wears clothing of only the highest quality. Unbefitting for a Shinobi. He has studied a wide variety of martial arts and also makes use of his family's treasured sword which was handed down to him.. although his skills with it are mediocre at best.

"I chose to become a Shinobi so I could earn more money!"

"Aah! A very noble c-.. Wait.. What?" Lee blinked for a moment and threw his gaze towards the orange haired boy now.

"Designer clothes are becoming so expensive and mother and father believe that I am too old to receive an allowance anymore. Therefor I have to find a way to earn money! This seems like the way that suits my skill set the best."

"... I.. See.. Well, Misaki Sasahara!"

"Hai, Lee-sensei."

Misaki Sasahara, an energetic brown haired Kunoichi. She has a deep admiration for weapons and thus Tenten is her idol Kunoichi. She strives to become as skilled at using weapons as her idol one day.

"I became a Shinobi so I could follow in the footsteps of the great Kunoichi, Tenten-sama!"

"Ah, now that I look at you.. You do resemble Tenten-san quite a bit! Hahahaha. Well it seems that most of you have a good goal to pursue. I look forward to training with you! Now, off into the sunset! YOUTH DAAAAAASH!"

"... Most?" Li rubbed his temple and shrugged the comment off before rushing after his incredibly fast Sensei.

* * *

Tsunade sat inside her mansion and looked through a stack of files which had mission assignments written on them. The new teams were to be sent out in one hour and so she sought through a list of missions that would prove a sufficient challenge for them, while not being far too dangerous. With Sakura by her side she finished rounding up four sheets of paper, two of which had D ranked missions on it and the other two with C's. Sakura leaned over her master's shoulder and couldn't help but giggle.

"I suppose the D missions are for Kiba and Shikamaru's teams?" Her voice was just as sugary sweet as always.

"Yes.. Shikamaru's team is far from the 'perfect teamwork' team that the InoShikaChou trio's were known for being. They complain alot, fight amongst each other and to make matters worse one of them insists on insulting their leader. I should start them off with something small while they learn to get along. As for Kiba's group.. Well let's just say that they're much too frilly and weak to do anything dangerous. I'm surprised Kiba hasn't lost his sanity yet. Hahaha."

Sakura nodded, thinking back to the picture she saw of Kiba's team. All of them were girls and they didn't look like they had the slightest bit of bloodlust in them. Even though one of them was an Inuzuka [who were known for being fierce] the team was made out of 100% girly girls who would much sooner have a sleepover than fight. Kiba must have been ripping the hair off of his head by now.

"A-ah, those C-missions.. Do you think Naruto will be content? You know how much he hates going on easy missions and Konohamaru-kun is no different."

"Yes, I thought as much.." Tsunade sighed, sinking into her comfy chair. "But Naruto, more than anyone should understand the need to start off small. If you go on a mission that's way in over your head, things can go horribly wrong. I think you all learned that when you fought the demon of the mist, Zabuza. This will be a good experience for them.. Plus there's been rumors of bandits appearing around where their assignment is. I'm sure that'll get Konohamaru pumped up, don't yo think?"

The two female's exchanged small laughs and proceeded to the list of B and A ranked missions that were assigned to them. Tomorrow would be a busy day indeed.

* * *

The sun shone brightly the next morning. The streets were filled with people, but they were all staring in one direction now, the main gates. The new chuunin and Genin were going out on their first missions since earning their rank [with the exception of Konohamaru's group] and the villagers decided to show their support. They gave the teams a standing ovation and received simultaneous waves from the Shinobi in return. Naruto's team, Kiba's team, Shikamaru's team and Lee's team were ready for whatever was being sent their way. With a final 'Good luck!' from the Hokage herself the teams all dashed off into different directions. Their missions had just begun!

Chapter 4 -End-

Next chapter: Of Beauty and bandits.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Of beauty and bandits

"W-what the hell man?! Those kids're wrecking our bar!"

The scene was chaotic and quite frankly unbelievable. A group of thugs who were threatening a small village had been taken out by the newly formed team 6. Shikamaru simply stood back and watched as his little band of misfits dealt with the easy task set ahead of them. These guys were just a bunch of drunkards with knives so it was no challenge really. That, however, didn't stop him from being impressed with their performance so far. Inohiko barely moved a finger since the brawl started. He used his mind distortion technique to put a majority of the thugs in a coma like state while Chouju sent his massive fists swinging at the rest. Ashika stood by as their shield so to speak, using her shadows to catch various blades and Kunai that were being thrown at him. Shikamaru stood back and watched his team go to work, honestly surprised by what he was seeing. Their teamwork was.. perfect. It was as if they read each other's minds and followed a nearly flawless attack plan. In no time at all the thugs were lying on the floor, utterly defeated. Ashika walked towards one of the men lazily and placed her foot on his stomach.

"Oi.. Who's your ring leader. Tell us now and we'll make sure your punishment isn't too severe."

"S-severe?" The beaten man spat back and flicked the petite Nara's leg away. "Don't look down on us you friggin whore! Once we get back up we'll rip off your hides and eat yer fuckin BONES!"

A small sigh left Ashika's lips and soon enough her shadow extended and wrapped itself around the male, lifting him high up into the air. There was a look in her eye.. a deadly look. Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly before speeding towards the battle area.

"W-what the hell is she-"

Ashika closed her eyes for a brief moment before speaking out again. "I'll ask you one more time. Who's your ring leader? I'm really tired and just want to go home.."

"Guh.. Ngh.. K-Kiss my ass ya little whore.." The thug replied through grunts of pain.

Ashika stood there silently for a moment and just as Shikamaru arrived her shadow began to change shape.

"Ninpou: Kage Hebi" [Shadow snake]

The shadow which had wrapped around the beaten man took the form of a snake now and in an instant swallowed the man whole. Blood curdling screams erupted from the shadow snake before slowly dying down into whimpers of pain and then silence. The shadow then returned to it's original form and shrank once again. The man was nowehre to be found.

".. You killed him." Shikamaru said in a cold tone.

"What's it to you?" Ashika replied.

The other thugs stared at the child with wide eyes and whimpered in fear. Chouju and Inohiko simply stared at Shikamaru and Ashika, waiting to see what would happen between the two.

".. You didn't have to go that far you know. Besides, killing at such a young age. It just doesn't seem right you know?"

"Don't get all soft on me, Baka-Sensei." Ashika's eyes narrowed towards Shikamaru. "We can't afford to go easy on our enemies this day and age. We know that this isn't some kids game. If the enemy isn't valuable to us they might as well be killed off right? That's what Akatsuki did to our people too. Besides, I think the others are willing to cooperate now."

Ashika shot a glance towards the other thugs who all began to nod in fear. Shikamaru took a deep breath before sighing.

"... Guess things aren't as easy as they were back in the old days huh? Asuma-Sensei.."

* * *

Elsewhere, near the border to the wave country Kiba and his team had finished their assignment without a hitch. They were to deliver a special package to the lord of the wave country while making sure nothing happened to it. It was a fairly simple task, seeing as no one even bothered to attack them or anything. Kiba yawned and eyed the three girls who seemed to be enjoying their easy victory.

"... Well, guess I should start them off small. They're still just getting the hang of this after all."

Kiba motioned to his group that it was time to return and the three girls enthusiasticly followed behind him, all the while whispering some things about the other boys they used to be in class with. Girls and their gossip.. Still, it was rather cute actually.

"Oi you!" said a strong and commanding voice.

Kiba turned his head to the right to see a group of about six men walking towards them. All of which had forehead protectors with four squigly lines on them.

"Mist Shinobi.." Kiba whispered with a wide grin on his face. Judging by the looks on their faces they were looking for a fight. The townspeople around them fled into their homes, which suit him just fine. They'd only get in the way anyway.

"Looks like you have yer hands full with them girls, kid. How about we take some of them off yer hands? We'll show em' how to be women.. Hehehe.."

The three girls behind Kiba looked at the men with glares that could destroy an entire country. That was the kind of ferocity Kiba wanted to see from them. He took his signature Inuzuka battle stance while Akamaru rushed to his side.

"Alright team.. Let's show them how we takes care of buisness!"

* * *

"Konoha Senpu!"

"**GRAAAAH!**"

Meanwhile, the members of team five were taking care of their own mission, but were having a slightly harder time. Li had taken out a number of thugs before proceeding to help Lee, only to get knocked out for his troubles. Baek was fending off wave after wave of attackers while Misake provided backup, launching various weapons while the thugs were still affar. Lee's chest heeved up and down slowly as he looked at the situation his team was in. Was this really a C-ranked mission? It seemed like it was at first. They managed to stop what appeared to be a drug smuggling operation when more thugs suddenly stormed in. Lee thought that they might have been crazy addicts who just didn't want their drugs to be taken away, that was until the person he was fighting now showed up. A tall, lanky man with hair that covered most of his face. However, through that hair Lee could see the eyes of a maniac. There was something odd about that man. His strength and speed were above what any normal person or even a Shinobi could achieve. And he screamed constantly as if he were in pain. There was something else going on here. Something big.

"It seems I have no choice.."

Lee closed his eyes for a brief moment and crossed his hands in front of him. The floor began to tremble slightly as a massive ammount of chakra became visible around Rock Lee.

"I-is that it?" Misaki said, being distracted from the battle for a brief moment.

Baek looked as well and instantly his eyes widened. Rock Lee's skin was changing colors..

"I-I think it is! Lee-Sensei is opening the celestial gates!!"

"Hachimon Seimon.. Kai!"

Lee's eyes shot open and a burst of chakra caused most of the enemies around him [and his students] to fall down onto the floor. He eyed the crazed man in front of him who let out another blood curdling yell and began dashing towards Lee like a hungry Jaguar.

"_Three gates should be enough for him.. I just have to break his limbs and then take him and a few others in for interrogation_."

Lee cracked his knuckles and as soon as the crazed man swung his fist at him he disappeared. Lee appeared behind him and grabbed a hold of his left wrist before slamming his free hand into it. The snapping of the man's bones caused Baek to flinch and look away. Misaki simply stared in awe at her Sensei's power.

"So this is.. the man who fought alongside Tenten-sama.."

"**GYAAAAAAAAAAAH!**" The crazed man grabbed Lee's head with his free hand, but he wouldn't get a hold of him that easily. Lee vanished once again and appeared above him. There he swung his leg towards the man's free arm and broke that one as well. The man staggered back and caught sight of Li who was still out like a light. The man lunged at him. Lee did not expect this.

"L-LI!!!"

"_Shit_-" Misaki's eyes followed the man's movements and just as he was about to strike Li something happened. There was a point where time seemed to simply freeze for her. She looked towards Lee's horrified facial expression, Baek who had begun to jump towards Li and the crazed man who was about to stomp onto Li's skull.

"_This must be.._" Misaki thought, but soon shrugged the idea off. Whatever this was, she had to take advantage of it. She grabbed two ninja swords that were lain out on the floor beneath her and swung both rapidly and with perfect precision. Both ninja swords struck the man's legs, which caused him to double over in pain and fall to the floor. Lee stopped and tried to figure out just what on earth had happened. He saw Misaki move with a speed he'd only thought was possible by those who opened at least two of the celestial gates. That was when he remembered one of Maito Gai's lectures from way back. Back when he was a Genin..

||"There are times when in the heat of battle that a Shinobi will feel as though everything around them has ceased. As if time itself stopped, only for them. This occurrence only happens to a select few who were born with the talent to become a Shinobi. We call it Shinobi's high.. A state of ecstasy in which one is able to perform with twice their usual effectiveness. There is a similar occurrence that is much like it, however much more powerful and can be used when the user wishes it.. However it will exhaust you completely. However, that's a story for another time, Lee.."||

"So this is.. Shinobi's high?" Lee said as the red tint to his skin disappeared. Whatever the case the rest of the thugs seemed to have given up after seeing their Ace defeated. Their mission was complete.

"We can head home for now.. We'll turn them in to the police and take three of them back to Konoha for questioning. In the meantime I'll check on Li.."

"Lee-Sensei!" Baek's voice suddenly rang through the old warehouse they were in. Lee looked over to him and saw that he was holding a sort of flasc with a purple liquid inside. It seemed to be.. glowing.

"What on earth?"

* * *

"Aaaaah! I'm so bored. Are we there yet Naruto-nii-chan?"

Konohamaru's group had been traveling for days now and had yet to reach their destination. Udon had fallen asleep halfway and was resting on Naruto's back. Moegi however, was just as energetic as ever. Naruto was just as bored as Konohamaru was, but knew the town couldn't be that far away.

"We're almost there, don't wor-.. Eh?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks and looked towards the end of the forest. Konohamaru and Moegi looked as well and were shocked to see a girl laying on the ground, unconscious. Konohamaru rushed towards her and kneeled down to see if she was alright. She had a pulse it seemed, so there was little need to worry. He moved his eyes from her chest towards her face and instantly a blushed manifested on his own face.

"_Sh-She's.. SO CUUUUUTE!_"

Chapter 5 -End-

Next chapter: I'm the hero!

Note: Finished chap five. I tried doing some more with the fights, but this was all I could manage. And if some of you've seen Eureka Seven you've probably noticed that I took one of their ideas and put my own version of it in the story [Rider's high]. It was the best I could come up with. However I might decide to change it if it sounds too corny. Reviews are appreciated and welcome as always


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I'm the hero!

"This seems like a good spot to stop. We'll continue our mission tomorrow. For now let's take care of this girl."

It had been a few days since Naruto's team departed from Konoha. They were traveling with haste to a small town nearby, however they were met with an unpredictable situation. A girl with torn clothing and various bruises was lain out on the path before them. Rather than continuing to the town Naruto thought it best to simply camp in a safe location for the night and tend to the girl's wounds. Her hair was long and blue, which was an odd natural color. Her eyes were closed so they couldn't tell what color they were. Konohamaru envisioned her with bright blue eyes as well and was already blushing. Moegi, of course, took notice of this and proceeded to whack the Sarutobi on his head. "Jeez, could you stop thinking about bad things for at least one second?" She muttered in annoyance. He was exactly like Naruto was when he was a boy, which gave her hope that he would one day grow up to be an exceptional Shinobi. One that she could be proud to call her team mate.

Night settled in rather quickly and most of the team had already drited off to dreamland. Udon and Moegi had managed to patch up the girl's wounds as best they could and were hoping that she would awaken the next morning. Konohamaru didn't want to sleep though. He sat by the girl's side, eyes narrowed somewhat as he inspected the damage done to her. Why would anyone attack someone who looked so harmless? She didn't even have any weapons on her, so he doubted that she was a Kunoichi. His eyes were getting heavy now and his vision was blurring. But he fought off his fatigue. Suddenly he heard something. Something like a groan. The girl's eyes were.. opening! He felt as though his fatigue had suddenly disappeared and was now staring anxiously at her. What would her voice be like? What would she say? His heart was racing. Her eyes had opened half lid and she suddenly gasped, pulling the bangs over her face. She sat up and moved a few inches away from Konohamaru who stared at her in confusion. Her eyes looked to be a purple blue ish from what he could make it in that split second. "U-Uhm..."

"Who are you?" A sudden soft voice spoke that was even more soothing than the silence of the night. Konohamaru swallowed hard and looked at her. Even with her bangs covering her eyes she looked so.. absolutely beautiful. He wanted to make a good impression so that she'd be friends with him early on. "A-Ah my name is Sarutobi Konohamaru. I'm a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf, see?" He said enthusiastically, pointing to his own forehead protector.

"The Hidden.. leaf?" She spoke once more, her head tilting to the side. What followed seemed to be a sigh of.. relief? That's what it sounded like to Konohamaru. "I see.. I have nothing to fear then."  
"Nothing to- eh?" Konohamaru's expression turned to a confused one as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. "My name is Ao. Ao Kushieda.. Were you the one who treated my wounds?"  
His heart began to thump as he cast his gaze towards Udon and Moegi. If he told her it was them then she might think he wasn't cool at all. Good impressions came first, good impressions. "Y-Yeah. We found you in the dirt all injured so we decided to look after you, heh.."

"Thank you. I feared that I might have died there." She said solemnly. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away from him towards a small pond. There were insects flying over it that gave off a beautiful bright light. The sight of it seemed to soothe her even more. "I.. wish to rest some more. If that is alright with you, Konohamaru-san."

"_S-she said Konohamaru-san._" He thought to himself eagerly. He coughed into his fist and stood back up on his two feet, nodding towards the girl. He had wanted to ask her just why she was injured in the first place though. No matter how he looked at it she seemed like a completely innocent and harmless girl. Maybe she was just attacked by some bad men who wanted to... He felt disgusted at the thought. However he wouldn't bother her about it tonight. Not when she asked to rest. "Alright then. I'll see you again when I wake up. It was nice speaking to you, Ao-chan."

With that he left walked back over to the cherry tree which he had claimed as his sleeping spot and sat there. She was still awake by the time his eyes closed. After that he dreamt. For some reason about the moment when she awoke. It was as though there was something important about it, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. The dream then proceeded to visions of Naruto's sexy jutsu form dancing on stripper poles.

* * *

Elsewhere a group of Shinobi were converging in a secret location. It was a dark and wet cave with various bodies lain out on the floor. They seemed to be the bodies of women, all of which had been partially consumed. The men Shinobi who had converged stood in a straight line, facing the shadowed portion of the cave. All of these men held forehead protectors with a musical note carved into it. They were ninjas from the sound village, a village founded by the legendary former Sannin Orochimaru. However, they were nowhere near the location of said village. From the shadows before them they could hear the whimpering of a woman along with the sound of a man in pleasure. What followed was a horrifying scream and then dead silence. A tall, obese man appeared before the group of Shinobi. He too wore a headband of the sound. In his massive left hand he held the body of a nude woman, covered in blood and semen. Half of her abdomen had seemingly been eaten, along with the left side of her head. "Well then, where is her corpse?" The man said in a husky voice as blood dripped from his lips. One of the Shinobi fearfully stepped forward and bowed before the man as much as he could. "D-Deburen-san. We chased the girl through the forest and she seemed to have fallen off a cliff. We could not locate her body when we reached the bottom and-" There was suddenly a gush of read. The other men winced as they witnessed the obese man slam his massive fist on top of the man's head and crushed it with ease. The now headless corpse fell to the floor below and the obese man began to walk away. "You will find the girl's body and bring her to me. Dead or alive. Orochimaru-sama will have my hide if we do not find her. This is an order! That girl must die!"

Secrets surround a mysterious girl. Could this somehow be connected to Ao? Otogakure begins to move!

Chapter 6 -End-

Next chapter: His name is.. foamy?


	7. Chapter 7

"... Eh?"

A day has passed and Team 7 has finally made it's way to the village of Tokiwada. However, they found themselves in for an unpleasant surprise when they found out just what their mission was. Naruto felt a tinge of irritation in his entire body as he recalled his very first mission. This was no different. Actually, it was. It was much worse.

"Please, I beg of you!" Said a certain familiar overweight lady. "Find my little squirrel! Please find my Foamy!"

Chapter 7: His name is... Foamy?

Naruto thought it was weird that Tsunade neglected to tell them just what kind of mission they were going on. All she said was that they'd all learn something very valuable from it. Naruto thought it would be a mission worthy of his prowess. Instead he was sent to catch a damn squirrel? It was beyond ridiculous and he wasn't going to let Tsunade get away with it. He was going to be sure to give her an earful when they got back. Ao remained in the back, observing the four man cell. She'd seen Shinobi before, but they were just the strangest she'd ever seen. They were only her age after all. Sure, Naruto was older, but he was 17. Could people really become Shinobi at such young ages? Once they headed back towards her they all seemed rather down. Konohamaru though was just irritated. Naruto knew what was coming already, so he just braced for it.

"What the hell does that Granny think she's doing?! I'm the son of the third Hokage-kore! Why would she send us to look for a stupid squirrel! Naruto-nii-chaaaaaan!"

Indeed, Naruto felt the younger one's disappointment. But right now there was nothing he could do about it. They were already there, so they might as well help the lady with her squirrel. Naruto could only imagine what happened to the cat she had. They stepped outside of the illustrious mansion and instantly the blond Jounin gave an energetic sigh.

"Right then team! Lame or not we're gonna give it all we've got. I suggest we split into teams. Udon, you and Moegi search the upper side of the village. I'll take the south part. And Konohamaru..." He said, looking towards the young Sarutobi. For some reason he was grinning, which confused Konohamaru. "You can go with Ao-chan and search the central area. Someone has to keep her company after all~"

Konohamaru's face instantly lit up and he looked over to Ao, who's expression was unreadable as usual. She had a smile on her face, but how could he tell if she was really happy without seeing her eyes? Moegi smacked her forehead and dragged Udon along with her before dashing off through the crowd. Naruto gave a solitary wave and disappeared as well.

"Guess that leaves just us huh?" Said Konohamaru in a somewhat shaky and nervous voice. "S-So.. I'll show you how Konoha's number one Shinobi gets the job done! Heh."

Ao simply nodded in silence, her smile ever present as she followed behind Konohamaru. Hours passed since their 'mission' began and so far none of them have had any luck. Moegi had hoarded quite a large number of squirrels thanks to Udon's help, but none of them were the squirrel they were looking for. Naruto had gotten side-tracked by a Ramen store he happened to come across and Konohamaru wasn't fairing any better. He let out a frustrated yell and fell back on the floor, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Kusooo! Just where the hell is that thing? And why the hell would she even have a squirrel for a pet?!"

Ao had remained just as quiet as when this little mission began, but suddenly let out a small noise of surprise. Konohamaru stopped his little rant and sat up to look over at the blue haired beauty. "What is it Ao-chan?"

"O-Over there." She pointed towards a flower pot near a window which held a small critter inside. A critter with a small pink ribbon on it's head. It didn't look none too happy either. "Is that.. err.. Foamy?"

Konohamaru's eyes widened at how easily the squirrel was located by the girl and wasted no time in trying to catch it. The squirrel though didn't prove to be an easy target. The moment Konohamaru leapt towards it the squirrel made a mad dash and scurried down onto the floor, sending the young Sarutobi crashing into the window. Ao yelped at the impact and ran over to the boy, touching his now tomato red face.

"A-Are you okay?" Ao questioned in a worried tone. The squirrel almost seemed to laugh at the young Sarutobi's blunder, which caused him to fly into an enraged frenzy. He wasn't about to let some rodent make him look uncool in front of Ao.

"Get over here you little rat!" Konohamaru shouted as he made another leap for the critter. The Squirrel made a mad dash once more, but this time Konohamaru expected it. Rather than crashing face first into the floor he shifted his body in mid-air so that he'd land on his feet. He made another leap while he was behind the squirrel, but the squirrel had already begun to strife to the side. Ao noticed this and gasped, stretching her hand out towards Konohamaru and the squirrel. Konohamaru managed to catch the squirrel and celebrated his little victory with a small dance. Ao sighed in relief and ran over to Konohamaru's side, her smile even wider than before.

"Good job! You really caught it, Konohamaru-san."

Konohamaru's face lit up once more upon receiving the compliment and swung the squirrel around by it's tail as payback for all it put him through. "Yeah! Though it was weird. I felt as though it was running to the side to avoid me, but I still caught it for some reason... Oh well! I caught the little bastard!"

With their first mission over with the team regrouped and returned the squirrel to it's rightful owner. They almost felt sorry doing it too after seeing the way the woman smothered the poor thing. Naruto and company exited the mansion once more, this time to make their way back home.

"Alright! You all did a great job. I'm proud of you. Now let's go see Baa-chan and give her a piece of my mind!!!"

Moegi and Udon sighed, knowing just how that would end up. Konohamaru on the other hand was just as forgetful as his Sensei. He wondered though what Tsunade would do about Ao. Apparently she had no family and had lived off of anything she could find to survive. She was such a mysterious girl.

"Oh, now that we're here." Konohamaru began. "Ao, could you tell us how you ended up in the-"

Suddenly Naruto's eyes twitched and he pushed the entire team away from him and at the same time jumped forward. The entire mansion behind them suddenly collapsed a split second afterwards, but thankfully they were out of the rubble and debris range. Moegi stared in horror as the mansion continued to cave in, followed by the screams of the lady they had just helped. Amidst all the chaos there were four men, all of which held forehead protectors.

"It seems we've found the girl. Deburen-sama will be pleased. Capture or kill, whatever you preffer!"

The sound ninja arrive and claim an innocent life! What fate will befal squad seven and Ao?!

Chapter 7 -End-

Next chapter: A dangerous situation.


	8. Chapter 8

"O-Oi.. Isn't that Konoha's toad sage?! What's he doing with the girl?!"

The town was now in an uproar. A sudden attack from the infamous hidden sound Shinobi caused many to head for the hills so to speak, seeing as none of them were even Shinobi. However, luck was on their side today. Standing in front of these infamous Shinobi was Konoha's number one hyper active, knuckle headed toad sage and his pupils. Team 7!

Chapter 8: A dangerous situation.

"H-hey, I've seen those forehead protectors before. Didn't those guys who helped that creep Orochimaru have them?" Moegi suddenly commented upon seeing the four Shinobi.

Konohamaru's eyes visibly changed, showing an intense amount of rage. Orochimaru.. He was the one responsible for the old man's death. But he heard that Orochimaru was killed by Uchiha Sasuke. That meant that there shouldn't even be a hidden sound village anymore. Unless.. Orochimaru was alive. But that was impossible. Everyone kept saying he was dead. It couldn't have been a mistake!.. could it? Konohamaru stepped forward before the others could even do or say anything.

"Oi, you losers! Sarutobi Konohamaru is here! I don't care what you're here for, but we're taking you all out, got it?!"

The four sound Shinobi simply stared at the young Sarutobi before one suddenly disappeared from sight. Before he even knew it he found himself being kicked in the chest by the one who had escaped his line of sight and was sent flying backwards. However, Naruto was there to catch him before he flew back too far.

"G-gah.. Thanks, Naruto-nii-chan.."

Konohamaru looked up to Naruto and noticed that he himself wasn't keeping his cool. His eyes were red and his pupils thin. Was this.. the Kyuubi's chakra? It had been awhile since he'd seen Naruto that visibly upset and he already knew why. The hidden sound, Orochimaru. They were the ones who were mostly responsible for everything that's happened to him. Losing Sasuke, twisting his mind and turning him into an avenger. A man gone mad with power and a desire for pain and destruction. The man.. who Naruto was forced to kill with his very own two hands. Naruto set Konohamaru back down and stepped forward, his hands visibly shaking with rage.

"All of you stay back. You're not ready to take these guys on."

Moegi and Udon didn't object. And oddly enough neither did Konohamaru. He didn't want to get in Naruto's way when he got like this. The four men looked at each other and then back towards Ao, which Naruto instantly noticed. But why would they be after Ao? He'd figure that out later when he caught one of them.

"You guys, take Ao somewhere safe! Don't ask questions, just do it!"

The Kage bunshin hand seal was made almost immediately, creating a horde of Naruto's ready to rampage over his enemies. Moegi didn't bother to ask for details and quickly took Ao's hand before dashing away. Udon and Konohamaru followed closely behind, but glanced back one last time to Naruto before disappearing from sight.

"The girl is getting away! We have to kill those brats and get her-"

"Just who do you plan on killing?" Said an enraged Naruto who had already managed to get behind the four. He sent his now clawed fingers crashing forward and pierced the man's back before sending him flying against the wall. The impact caused the entire wall to crumble upon the sound Shinobi's frame and left him pinned on the floor, half dead. He felt no remorse for these people, so he wouldn't hesistate in killing rest. However, they weren't just going to stand there and be offed by the young blond.

"Wind style, Giant shockwave!" Said the tallest of the remaining three sound ninja. He pulled down his mask and let out an ear piercing scream which created a powerful shockwave. Naruto could sense it coming to a certain degree due to his sage training and dodged to the left before it could hit him. The other ten Naruto clones all jumped on the three simultaneously and sought to finish the fight early.

"Fire style, flying drago-"

The jutsu was cut short when one of the Naruto clones grabbed onto another and sent him crashing down with even greater speed. The clone that had been shot down punched the Sound ninja squarely in the face which sent him crashing right into the floor. He could feel for that split moment, his skull cracking. That was one dead. Two more to go. "As I was saying, Just who do you plan on killing?!"

The two men stepped back in fear and sought to run away, but the Naruto clones all converged and piled on the two. Naruto took his time walking over to them, a rasengan forming in his hand and gradually growing larger as he came closer.

"I only need one of you rotten bastards. The rest of you can just die. This time I'll make sure all of you pay for what you did to Sasuke.."

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

* * *

Konohamaru and company had managed to flee into the forest when all of a sudden they heard a giant crash coming from the village. All they could make out was a giant puff of smoke rising from the location they were at. But they weren't worried. They could tell that it was Naruto who won.

"Geez.. What the heck was that about anyway? And why did the Sound ninja show up he-" Moegi began, but was cut off instantly at the feeling of something shaking beneath their feet. Konohamaru and Udon also noticed this, but before they could react the ground caved in and they fell into the dark abyss. As they fell inside the ground reformed to make it seem as though nothing had happened. It felt like an extremely long fall and once they hit the bottom it was even more painful than they thought it would be. Konohamaru had managed to land beneath Ao to soften her own fall while Moegi landed gracefully on her feet. Udon.. crashed face first into a boulder.

"Where the heck are we-Kore?" Konohamaru asked as he looked around the cave. There were lights set up everywhere, so that meant there must have been people here. Moegi walked to one of the lights and picked it up to cast towards the shadows when she suddenly gasped in terror.

"W-Wh-Wha.. What the hell is this?!?!"

Konohamaru, Udon and Ao all looked in the same direction and their reaction was much the same. There were bodies of women everywhere. All of them bloody and partially.. consumed? Ao felt as though she was about to pass out while Udon threw up uncontrollably. Suddenly they felt the ground shaking once more, this time in a different way. There were also the sounds of.. a woman screaming. The four children tensed up as the sound grew louder and louder. Suddenly they were met with a horrific sight. A giant, Obese man with limbs the size of tree trunks. And in one hand she held a fully grown woman who seemed to be struggling for her life.

"I knew those buffoons would screw things up, so I decided to track them. And luckily enough they managed to find you. I should congratulate them for that at least. Now, prepare to be eaten you little shits!"

"What the heck.. is that thing?!" Konohamaru suddenly cried out in terror. Was he even human? He looked like a real life giant. The woman in the man's hand continued to struggle and cry, screaming about her children and other things. A vein seemed to throb in the man's temple and suddenly he brought the woman towards his face.

"You're so damn noisy!" He called out in frustration and suddenly brought the woman's head into his mouth.. He then bit down on it. Blood gushed onto the floor and Ao slouched down, crying frantically at the sight.  
"He.. He ate her.." Udon said in a terrified voice. They were up against a monster this time.. and they felt as though hope was already lost. Deburen began to step forward, each step causing the cave to vibrate.

"Now then, which one of you do I eat first?"

Chapter 8 -End-

Next chapter: Deburen, the behemoth.


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